Home topics technology Business Tech Cloud Tech Business Tech Decoding cloud computing “as a service” lingo Loryan Strant February 16, 2012 IaaS, PaaS, SaaS – what does it all mean for small businesses? Loryan Strant is decoding the lingo around cloud computing , to help businesses decide which solution is right for them. As technology moves more towards a subscriber model you might see the “aaS” suffix placed after a variety of letters. The most common terms currently utilised under the “cloud” banner are: – Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): servers, networks, disk space and other IT infrastructure – Platform as a Service (PaaS): environments where software companies can build applications without the need for infrastructure – Software as a Service (SaaS): applications and software solutions that are ready for immediate use Recently I was asked the question about whether a website classifies as SaaS. The answer is both yes and no – as it comes down to perspectives. If I am the owner of “Loryan’s Widgets” and have an online shopfront for customers to purchase my widgets I can realistically use any of the “aaS” models. So how does that work? At a basic level I can choose the SaaS route and find a provider who will provide me with a website, eCommerce system and payment gateway. In this scenario I am subscribing to the entire solution and all I need to purchase is the service from the provider. Within minutes I can be entering in my stock items,